An Ocean City historical marker in August 2013. It tells a brief history of the town.

The land upon which the city was built, as well as much of the surrounding area, was obtained by Englishman Thomas Fenwick from the Native Americans. In 1869, businessman Isaac Coffin built the first beach-front cottage to receive paying guests. During those days, people arrived by stage coach and ferry. They came to fish off the shore, to enjoy the natural beauty of the Atlantic Ocean pounding against the long strip of sandy beach, to collect seashells, or just to sit back and watch the rolling surf.

Soon after, other simple boarding houses were built on the strip of sand, with the activity attracting prominent businessmen from the Maryland Eastern Shore, Baltimore, Philadelphia, and Wilmington. They came not so much to visit as to survey the spit. A decision was made to develop it and 250 lots were cut into it, and a corporation was formed to help with the development of the land. The corporation stock of 4,000 shares sold for $25 each.

Prior to 1870, what is now Ocean City was known as "The Ladies' Resort to the Ocean."

The Atlantic Hotel, the first major hotel in the town, opened July 4, 1875.The Atlantic Hotel was originally owned by the Atlantic Hotel Company, but eventually Charles W. Purnell bought it in 1923. It is still currently owned and operated by the Purnell family.[5] Besides the beach and ocean, it offered dancing and billiard rooms to the visitors of its more than 400 rooms, and for years it was the northern-most attraction in Ocean City. By 1878 tourists could come by railroad from Berlin to the shores of Sinepuxent Bay across from the town. By 1881, a line was completed across Sinepuxent Bay to the shore, bringing rail passengers on the Baltimore, Chesapeake and Atlantic Railroad directly into the town to a train station on Philadelphia Avenue and returning to larger city markets with locally caught fish from Ocean City.

Ocean City's inlet during the off season

The Ocean City Inlet was formed during a significant hurricane in 1933, which also destroyed the train tracks across the Sinepuxent Bay. The inlet separated what is now Ocean City from Assateague Island. The Army Corps of Engineers took advantage of nature's intervention and made the inlet at the south end of Ocean City permanent. The inlet eventually helped to establish Ocean City as an important Mid-Atlantic fishing port as it offered easy access to the fishing grounds of the Atlantic Ocean.

In the late 1930s, the Army Corps of Engineers dredged a new channel on the bayside of Ocean City to allow larger boats to have access to Sinepuxent Bay. The dredge was pumped back onto the western shore of Ocean City allowing the creation of Chicago Avenue and St. Louis Avenue, leading to new development where previously only marshland had been.[6]

Ocean City has become a well-known city in Maryland due to the rapid expansion of Ocean City that took place during the post-war boom. In 1952, with the completion of the Chesapeake Bay Bridge, Ocean City became easily accessible to people in the Baltimore–Washington metropolitan area. In 1964, with the completion of the Chesapeake Bay Bridge-Tunnel, a whole new pathway to the south was opened. Ocean City became one of the largest vacation areas of the East Coast.

By the 1970s, big business flourished and gave birth to the construction of more than 15,000 condominium units, creating a spectacular sight of high-rise condominiums that assured every investor of a glimpse of the ocean and pounding surf. However, throughout the 1980s, and into the 1990s, the width of the beach began to shrink, prompting the first of a series of beach replenishment projects.

The original pier was destroyed by a fire in 1994. There was a small water park and giant walk-through haunted house with live actors near the end of the pier and a New Orleans-style Hollywood in Wax Museum on the boardwalk side. In the late 1980s the Wax Museum was turned into a Photon laser tag arena. The building now houses the Ripley's Believe it or Not! museum.

In 2002, Ocean City undertook the most recent of many, multimillion-dollar, beach restoration programs, in an attempt to slow the westward migration of its beaches. The program pumped tons of sand from offshore and deposited it onto the beach. A dune line was also re-established in front of Ocean City's building line. Another similar project began after the 2006 tourist season closed.

Today, the Ocean City area continues to sprawl westward across the bay and toward Berlin and Ocean Pines. It was part of the Ocean Pines Micropolitan Statistical Area until that was subsumed by the Salisbury Metropolitan Area. The resort area accommodates approximately 8 million visitors per year.[8]

The town supports a year-round population of about 8,000, with the town itself being a major employer. Summer employment in Ocean City rises many multiples above that level, supported by a large number of college-age and young adults - many native to Eastern Europe and Ireland - attracted by numerous job opportunities. In the summer, businesses and government agencies are augmented with about 100 seasonal police officers, plus extra firefighters and other workers.

Tourism in the off-season has picked up pace over the past decade. Today, Ocean City, Maryland has become one of the most popular vacation areas of the East Coast. Warmer months like June, July, and August attract the most tourists due to the opening of the beaches as well as the many different activities available to do. A "shoulder-season" has been established that ranges in the spring from St. Patrick's Day until Memorial Day Weekend and in the fall from Labor Day Weekend until late October. Many establishments stay open into November and December depending on local events and weather. Numerous special events take place within the town during this shoulder-season, including Sunfest, Springfest, Bike Week, Cruisin' Weekend, Winterfest of Lights and Reach the Beach, which take place on the Boardwalk and/or in the Ocean City Convention Center. Increased traffic from golfers and these special events have convinced many seasonal restaurants and hotels to open sooner and close down later in the year.

The city has erected a memorial to the firefighters who lost their lives on September 11. This memorial is located on the boardwalk, about six blocks from the inlet. The memorial consists of a firefighter statue, engraved brick and stone, and a piece of one of the twin towers that collapsed in New York City. Ocean City is home to the annual Maryland State Firefighters Convention. This is a week-long event in June, that honors the state's firefighters with events and contests at the Convention Center, and ends with a parade.

Northern Ocean City houses many high-rise beachfront condominiums and hotels such as Century I, The Seawatch, Golden Sands Club, and The Carousel. This area is easily recognizable because of its city-like skyline.

A panoramic view of the beach in Ocean City from a condominium during late-afternoon, as seen in July 2013.

Ocean City now extends just more than 9 mi (14 km) from the southern inlet to the Delaware line. The strip now supports hotels, motels, apartment houses, shopping centers, residential communities, and condominiums. The southern tip houses the Ocean City Boardwalk. The boardwalk is the main shopping district and entertainment area of the town. The boardwalk has many prominent businesses including Fisher's Caramel Popcorn and Thrashers French Fries. Other notable boardwalk businesses are Dolle's Salt Water Taffy, the Atlantic Stand, and Dumser's Dairyland. The Boardwalk has two amusement parks, Trimpers Rides and The Pier, which was recently renamed Jolly Roger at The Pier, after its sister uptown local amusement park. The downtown neighborhood, Old Town, is marked by Victorian style houses and other older buildings, many of which have been razed in recent years to construct more parking lots, hotels, and condos.

Ocean City has a long history of fishing, both commercial and recreational. The town bills itself as the "White Marlin Capital of the World." During the summer numerous charter and private boats fish for billfish, tuna, wahoo, and other game fish. In early August, one of the largest fishing tournaments in the world, the White Marlin Open, is held. Prize money for the largest White Marlin, Blue Marlin, and Tuna can range over 1 million dollars.

According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of 36.37 square miles (94.20 km2), of which, 4.41 square miles (11.42 km2) is land and 31.96 square miles (82.78 km2) is water.[1]

Ocean City has a humid subtropical climate (KöppenCfa), with hot, humid summers, cool winters, and precipitation fairly evenly distributed throughout the year. Due to its location on the Atlantic coast, daytime temperatures in spring and summer are moderated, with an average of only 10 days annually reaching 90 °F (32 °C). Conversely, in winter there is an average of 5.8 days where the temperature fails to rise above freezing.The temperature usually falls between 27 and 85 degrees Fahrenheit, and is very rare to ever fall below 16 degrees Fahrenheit or rise above 91 degrees Fahrenheit. However, in 2010 the temperature rose to 103 degrees Fahrenheit, which was the highest recorded temperature in history. The coldest temperature ever recorded was -6 degrees Fahrenheit in 1957. The prominence of the Outer Banks of North Carolina to the south means direct hits from tropical storms and hurricanes are rare, although they sometimes brush the area.

As of the census[2] of 2010, there were 7,102 people, 3,852 households, and 1,784 families residing in the town. The population density was 1,610.4 inhabitants per square mile (621.8/km2). There were 30,119 housing units at an average density of 6,829.7 per square mile (2,637.0/km2). The racial makeup of the town was 92.2% White, 2.7% African American, 0.2% Native American, 1.3% Asian, 2.2% from other races, and 1.4% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 5.9% of the population.

There were 3,852 households of which 11.1% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 36.8% were married couples living together, 6.3% had a female householder with no husband present, 3.3% had a male householder with no wife present, and 53.7% were non-families. 42.8% of all households were made up of individuals and 17.5% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 1.84 and the average family size was 2.41.

The median age in the town was 54.2 years. 9.1% of residents were under the age of 18; 6.7% were between the ages of 18 and 24; 20.8% were from 25 to 44; 33.8% were from 45 to 64; and 29.6% were 65 years of age or older. The gender makeup of the town was 51.4% male and 48.6% female.

Ocean City's many high-rises offer a view of both the ocean and the bay.

There were 3,750 households out of which 11.6% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 39.2% were married couples living together, 6.4% had a female householder with no husband present, and 51.2% were non-families. 39.1% of all households were made up of individuals and 13.7% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 1.91 and the average family size was 2.47.

In the town the population was spread out with 11.3% under the age of 18, 7.3% from 18 to 24, 28.2% from 25 to 44, 28.0% from 45 to 64, and 25.2% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 47 years. For every 100 females there were 105.4 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 103.6 males.

The median income for a household in the town was $35,772, and the median income for a family was $44,614. Males had a median income of $28,613 versus $27,457 for females. The per capita income for the town was $26,078. About 6.0% of families and 8.4% of the population were below the poverty line, including 23.0% of those under the age of 18 and 3.9% ages 65 or older.

Ocean City was ranked as the most dangerous place in Maryland In 2014 by the real estate brokerage Movoto, per studies of 2012 FBI crime statistics. Representatives from Ocean City disputed the findings, arguing that the city's large influx of tourists gives the city a much larger population than the 7,000 permanent residents which are used to calculate per-capita crime. The Movoto firm responded that their statistics are based on permanent residents, as they are for other communities which receive tourist influxes.[14]

Ocean City has only a single major north−south thoroughfare, Maryland Route 528, known as the Coastal Highway for most of its length, and as Philadelphia Avenue at its southern end. MD 528 continues north into Delaware as Delaware Route 1. Between S. 1st Street and 33rd Street, Philadelphia Avenue is paralleled by Baltimore Avenue to the east, which is unsigned Maryland Route 378 south of 15th Street. In downtown Ocean City, Baltimore Avenue is one-way northbound and Philadelphia Avenue is one-way southbound. Most east-west streets are numbered, starting at N. Division Street in the south, and continue until 146th street at the Delaware/Maryland border. Between S. Division Street and N. Division Street are several streets named after counties on the Eastern Shore of Maryland. South of S. Division Street is S. 1st Street and S. 2nd Street at the Ocean City Inlet. Locations in the city are usually given as Oceanside (east of Coastal Highway) or Bayside (west of Coastal Highway).

Ocean City also has a public transportation system referred to as the "Beach Bus". The bus runs along pretty much the entire length of the city 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, year round. It travels on Coastal Highway between 15th Street and the 144th Street transit center. South of 15th Street, the bus runs on Philadelphia Ave. heading south to the S. Division Street transit center and on Baltimore Ave. heading north through the Downtown area. There is also a park-and-ride service known as the West Ocean City Park and Ride. Patrons can park their cars at the Park and Ride's lot in West Ocean City off U.S. Route 50 and take a separate bus into the city to connect with the Coastal Highway Beach Bus. This service also serves the Tanger Outlets in West Ocean City. During the summer season, the city hires additional operators for the highest periods of ridership. These seasonal bus drivers are frequently retirees from other transit authorities as well as school bus drivers across the state of Maryland who are off during the summer season while schools are not in session.

Ocean City's transit service connects with Shore Transit where patrons can travel to or from destinations on the Eastern Shore such as Salisbury and Pocomoke. This connection point is the West Ocean City Park and Ride in the summer and the S. Division Street transit center in the off season. Between Mid-May and Mid-September, DART First State's Resort Transit Route 208 bus also connects Ocean City transit at the 144th Street transit center with the Delaware Beaches, running to the Rehoboth Beach Park and Ride. Here, connections can be made with other Resort Transit routes, regular DART service, or shuttle service from the Cape May-Lewes Ferry to Cape May, New Jersey.[16]

The Ocean City Transits fleet consists mainly of Thomas built buses. The CL960 model and the TL960 model both in 40-foot (12 m) lengths. They do run Eldorado National XHF buses in a 35-foot (11 m) length which run on Coastal Highway in the off season and the West Ocean City Park and Ride in the summer season. Ocean City did purchase a new order of at least 8 Blue Bird Xcel 102s in a 40-foot (12 m) length recently. They were purchased to replace the oldest set of Thomas built buses on the Ocean City fleet, which were also numbered as 270s. In past years, Ocean City received somewhere about 10-17 Articulated buses that are being retired by MTA Maryland which were built by North American Bus Industries in 1995-96. The buses were frequently borrowed every summer to maintain the increase in ridership and crowding of their current 40-foot vehicles.

Ocean City also maintains a fleet of open-air shuttles which run along the Boardwalk called the Boardwalk Tram. The trams run the entire length of the boardwalk from S. Division Street to 27th Street between Memorial Day and Labor Day Weekends, and also during special event weekends such as Springfest or Sunfest. South of 5th Street, the tram has a separate concrete path it runs on parallel to the boardwalk. North of this, a marked lane down the middle of the boardwalk warns pedestrians of the shuttle. Passengers board and alight at any point along the route by notifying the driver.

Jolly Roger at The Pier amusement park located directly on the famous Ocean City beach.

Originally called the "Atlantic Avenue", the first Ocean City boardwalk was constructed in 1902. The boardwalk currently runs from S. 2nd St in South Ocean City (by the Ocean City Life Saving Museum and the Inlet) up to 27th St. in South Ocean City. After being damaged by a storm in 1962, the boardwalk was rebuilt to stretch a total of 2.5 miles, which is still its current length today. Many years later the boardwalk would suffer extensive storm damage during Hurricane Gloria in 1985 which pummeled Ocean City with 89 MPH winds, however the boardwalk was refurbished and a concrete sea wall was soon constructed following the storm to prevent further damage, and the aftermath of Hurricane Gloria led to the first phase of extensive beach replenishment projects in Ocean City. It wouldn't be until 2012, that the Ocean City Boardwalk was damaged again as a result of Hurricane Sandy. The boardwalk was flooded and half of it was destroyed as a result of the water coming so far onto shore.[17] The boardwalk has since been rebuilt back to its original length and still attracts many tourists & families. As a historical landmark the Ocean City boardwalk has been consistently rated as one of the "best boardwalks for food" in USA Today, and was rated one of the Top Ten Boardwalks to Visit in the US by National Geographic. Also located in South Ocean City is Trimper's Rides amusement park. Trimper's Rides is a historic amusement park that was originally founded in 1893 as "The Windsor Resort", and is over 100 years old. The famous Trimper's Carousel (first built in the 1920s), was voted one of the "Best Carousels in America" by Travel & Leisure in 2012,[18] and is one of the oldest running carousels operating today in the world.

With a greater number of tourists visiting Ocean City during the summer months from the neighboring Washington DC, Virginia, Delaware, New Jersey, Pennsylvania and Western & Northern Maryland areas, many high rise condominiums were first built in North Ocean City in the 1970s over-looking the Atlantic Ocean. The high rise condominiums are currently located in North Ocean City, starting with the 21 story 9400 up on 94th St and continue up to the Carousel on 118th St. Many of these buildings are over 20 stories tall and offer some of the best oceanfront views of the Atlantic Ocean in the area, and several of the high rise condominiums now feature upscale amenities such as spas, restaurants, indoor & outdoor pools as well. The highest of the high rise condominiums in Ocean City is the 25-floor Century I Condominiums.[19]

In Ocean City, there have been several shark sightings. More and more sharks have been spotted close to shore on beaches in Delaware and Ocean City. Some biologists believe that this may be a result of the fishermen who are attempting to catch sand sharks through bait that they have placed in the ocean. Besides sand sharks, there have been sightings of Tiger Sharks as well. On August 1, 2014, a 12.8 foot long, 1,000-pound tiger shark was spotted in the middle of the Isle of Wight Bay, located in Ocean City. The female shark was nicknamed Septima by scientists, and has traveled over thousands of miles along the East Coast since being tagged in South Carolina.[20] However, even though there has been an increase in shark sightings, there haven’t been any recorded fatalities from shark attacks in Ocean City, Maryland. North Ocean City in recent years has seen more deer sightings and red foxes as well as development has increased on the barrier island as well.[21]

There are many historic landmarks located in Ocean City, Maryland. Some historical sites include the anchor from the Sailboat Wreck, the original Atlantic Hotel and the Ocean City Life Saving Station Museum.

The anchor from the Sailboat Wreck is located on the Ocean City Boardwalk. The anchor, which is 2 ½ tons, was recovered from the Sailboat Wreck in 1870 by the commercial clam vessel Star Light.[22] It is now located on the boardwalk for people to admire the history of it. The Atlantic Hotel, located at 401 S Baltimore Ave, is another historical site that is also still open for business. After a fire that destroyed the original and first ever hotel in Ocean City, Maryland, the Atlantic Hotel was rebuilt in 1926 and is one of the oldest and most historic hotels in Ocean City.[23] The Ocean City Life-Saving Station Museum is another historical site originally called the Ocean City Life-Saving Station. The station was part of the coastal system and was important for the saving of vessels and lives in distress. It was built in 1891, and after much debate over having it demolished, the station was saved and eventually dedicated as a museum in 1978. The museum attracts people due to the interesting facts and exhibits of ocean life, nature, and life-saving services.[24]

Ocean City is known for its "Senior Week" activities. Recently graduated high school seniors from Maryland and surrounding states travel to Ocean City to spend a week with friends and away from parental supervision. Senior Week traditionally begins the first week after graduation. The Town of Ocean City has a "Play it Safe" campaign with scheduled events to keep the graduates safe.[25] There are also a number of other events that take place during senior week which include the OC Car Show,[26] Dew Tour,[27] H20 Under 21 Events,[28] and the senior week boardwalk events.[29]

First opened in June 1976, Ocean Bowl Skatepark in South Ocean City, MD was the very first skate park to open on the East Coast in the United States, and is the longest running municipal skatepark in the United States today. Due to time, wear and the current needs of skaters, the original bowl and legendary steel halfpipe ramp were torn down in the Fall of 1997 and the newly constructed skatepark opened in July 1998 on the same site. The park has attracted the National Dew Tour for several years running,[30] and many pro skateboarders from around the world have skated the legendary Ocean Bowl park.

Aside from the boardwalk, other attractions in Ocean City, Maryland include mini-golfing. Old Pro Golf, the most well known chain of mini-golf in Ocean City, is located at several different addresses in Ocean City. The indoor and outdoor Old Pro Golf is located at 6801 Coastal Highway, which is in close proximity to the Golden Sands condominium complex. Herbert J. and Aileen Schoellkopf founded the Old Pro Golf business in 1965. Herbert became obsessed with the game of golf and began building and designing hundreds of golf courses. He first built the outdoor dinosaur golf course at 6801 Coastal Highway, and then eventually added the indoor golf course to attract more people.[31]

The Town of Ocean City has an emergency advisory radio system broadcast on two FM frequencies. WPSB-LP is broadcast at 99.5 FM from the Public Safety Radio Tower at 65th Street while WWOP-LP is broadcast at 100.3 FM from a tower near Ocean Pines. The system is meant to inform the public of emergency conditions such as severe weather and broadcasts 24-hour community information during non-emergency situations.[32] The studios are located at the Ocean City Public Safety Building on 65th Street. Signs throughout Ocean City advise motorists of the station, with flashing lights advising them to tune in for emergency information. The emergency advisory radio system was launched on August 25, 2014 through a $55,000 grant through the Hazard Mitigation Grant Program from the Maryland Emergency Management Agency and sponsored by the Federal Emergency Management Agency.[33]